Vagabond
by Zimithrus1
Summary: Zack survives the cliffs outside Midgar when Cloud takes his place. Distraught and confused, he returns to resume his former life. When changes that shake him up occur, he snaps and slaughters half of Shin-Ra. This isn't one of those "Alternate-Game-novelizations-where-Zack-lives-and-they-all-go-beat-Sephiroth-happy-ever-after-yay" Stories, but will be much more dark ;) CxZ Pair, M
1. Chapter 1

_Okie-dokie! Here we are with a brand new story! Well, it's not technically new. I just decided to scrap the old "Mako Eyes" story. I wanted to start out fresh, knowing exactly what I was going to do with this story and holding true to that. I've planned out this entire story and it's not going to change this time around. This WILL be a yaoi fic, and I'm not changing that. My mind is made up. If it's not your cup of tea, you are free to leave at any time. Enough of that. Here's chapter one of Vagabond._

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><p><em>~~Like an Army Falling, One By One By One...<em>  
><em>Linkin Park, In My Remains~~<em>

His vision was hazy at best. Clouded sunlight peeped through on occasion, lighting up the desolate battlefield stripped of any form of agitation. Only dry cliffs remained outside Midgar within a few miles radius. His Mako infused eyes scanned the army closing in on him, bullets flying past, whizzing right by him. Some he was able to deflect, others struck him or barely grazed him. He had already taken a bullet to the arm and shoulder. His sword felt heavy, like a ton of cinder blocks in his shaky hands. Clouded sunlight that flickered off the army's uniforms created a star burst effect in his eyes, causing him to squint and blink.

More bullets and grenades were flying all around him exploding like colorless fireworks. His mentor's words constantly echoed in his head and his drive to protect his friend fueled his adrenaline to the max. Blood was rushing in his ears and he was nearly seeing red passed the blur of his sight. A bullet struck him in the leg and he stumbled, nearly falling. He let out a cry of pain and staggered. His arms felt stiff and unstreached. He was working his enhanced muscles to their limits and beyond. He ran at a near-by trooper and sliced into his chest. The cadet let out a cry and fell to the cracked grounds, still and unmoving.

His breaths were getting heavy and laced with exhaustion. The army would just fill in constantly. Right after a comrade went down, another was there to take their place. A grenade was chunked at him. He knew if he wanted to pull this move off he only had eight seconds to do it. He grabbed it in mid-air, then threw it right back at the army. It exploded just seconds after he threw it. Bodies blew into the air and limbs and organs scattered about. A gruesome sight indeed. But it had to be done.

He was not going to be a guinea pig again. He wouldn't let his friend become one again either. Just because the kid finished off the great Sephiroth didn't give professor Hojo the right to do those terrible things to him. If anyone should have been killed that day, it should have been Hojo himself. In Zack Fair's opinion, he was the real threat and everyone else was just a pawn in his ruthless game of chess. He acted like the king, like nothing else was his equal. The psycho acted as if he could play God.

That's a matter you don't toy with.

A bullet whizzed by and scraped his face, drawing some blood and re-opening an old scar. Re-opening old and painful memories. His mentor was felled by his own hand. Zack grit his teeth and trudged on, hacking and slashing at the cadets. The army was falling one by one. Slowly, but surely. The numbers barely seemed to diminish. Yet they were starting to thin out now. A good sign if Zack was to live through this. The sunlight disappeared behind dark grey clouds, and the air was overcome with humidity and the sweet scent of rain. The wind slightly picked up, and it cooled his body off from sweat and blood.

Then it began to rain. The sweet scent increased by two, and the wind made the raindrops dance across the blood stained battlefield. Zack closed his eyes momentarily, taking in a ragged breath as he tried to hold on to his ever fleeting strength. it was getting harder to stand, harder to fight now.

The troopers numbers had diminished greatly, but there were still more coming after him. How much longer would this seemingly endless struggle continue on for? Gritting his teeth and letting out a mighty battle cry, he slashed through three more unnamed troopers. Time slowly ticking out his last moments.

It continued on like this for Gaia knows how long. Then, only three troopers remained. Zack was near collapsion by now. He had taken three bullets to the chest, two in his right arm, and one in his left leg. He could only limp now. He was going to die. He knew it. At least Cloud would be safe in the cliffs. The army had been so caught up with this pesky SOLDIER that they must have completely forgotten about him.

But Cloud did not forget about Zack.

A faint splash gently drew the eyes of the First Class over to his left. He saw the blonde haired boy trying to drag himself across the cracked and dry cliffs. The splash echoed once more as he began to drag himself through a small puddle of rain. It was good that he was moving, but it was bad that he was moving at this specific moment. The boy was barely able to hold his head up. His face twisted in pain at his own condition, and shock at his friends'. The troopers continued their advancements towards Zack, not noticing the blonde desperately trying to crawl over to his friend. He needed to keep them distracted.

He staggered closer to the three troopers. His sword now dragging at his side and blood staining his uniform and face. It felt like he was moving through mud. It was hard to move his legs, and the sword in his right hand felt as if it was weighed down with pounds upon pounds of cinder blocks. In what could have been a surge of adrenaline, he noticed Cloud struggling up to his feet without any help. Zack quickly shot him a look with his eyes, silently telling him to stay down. Cloud did not listen. but instead, continued trying to stand.

The rain fell even harder than now, washing some of the fresh blood from Zack, but the dried blood didn't come off. The troopers still continued their slow advance towards the injured SOLDIER. Zack was barely able to hold his sword up to get into a striking position. It was hard to hold the weapon eye level, his arms were quaking under the weight of a twenty pound blade. Just as the troopers began to raise their guns to shoot...

"Zack." A tender voice croaked.

The troopers instantly looked over to see Cloud slowly trudging towards them, a glare in those illuminating Mako blue eyes of his. He was slouched as he stood, barely able to hold himself up. His First Class uniform was streaked with a small amount of mud, as well as his face. The three troopers looked over towards their right, one of them grunting in annoyance.

"Let's take care of this thorn in the side first." The trooper wearing a red muffler ordered.

The others by his side nodded, and turned their guns on Cloud. The boy's face changed into surprise, but then it fell into neutral, and he continued his advance toward them, slow and shaky as it might have been. Those illuminating eyes of Mako blue glowed in some kind of determination as his eyebrows gently knit down, casting a weak glare at the last three troopers that were about ready to shoot him instead.

"On my mark, you fire." The commander told them.

They nodded once again and flipped the safety off their rifles. Cloud stumbled and fell into a puddle of rainwater collecting in the ground. He did not - could not - get up. He struggled with all his might, gloved hands balling up loose dirt and thick mud as he tried to get a grip on the world below him, trying to find something to help him back up on his feet again.

"Ready..." The commander drawled, waiting for the perfect time to get his subordinates to begin firing.

Zack felt a rush of energy sweep over him, his sword not feeling so heavy anymore. He gripped the handle tightly in both hands as he lifted it above his head. He took another step, almost surprised to feel like no foreboding weight of death loomed over him. He was able to move fluidly again. Wasting no time, he began to run the rest of the way towards the troopers.

"Fire!" The commander ordered.

The two other troopers began to rapidly shoot into Cloud, the boy's body twitching with each bullet that entered into his flesh and spurting blood in every direction it could go. Zack was then able to slice through the commander, his sword was swung down through his helmet as it split this head in two. Brain matter slipped out of the large gash as the red muffler commander slipped towards the ground; still and silent.

The other two stopped shooting as they saw their superior's head get cut open. One of them harshly gagged when he saw the pink brain matter splatter to the cracking grounds with a sickening squelch. The other tried to turn tail to flee, but Zack had been quicker. He lept towards the trooper and swiftly decapitated him.

The cowardly trooper's head rolled to the ground, and he got a fleeting glimpse of his body flopping against the moistened earth below him. He had only enough time to think 'Holy shit...' before he finally died. Being alive for only ten seconds after a swift decapitation.

The other trooper let out a cry and quickly turned his rifle towards the back of the ravenette SOLDIER. Spinning on his heel quickly, Zack was able to swing his sword in a circle. He cut the cadet in half at the waist with a deadly Assault Twister attack. The body of the trooper slipped to the ground like the two others before him, and he became just as deadly still as his brothers in arms.

When this was accomplished, the First Class fumbled to Cloud's side as quick as his worn and beat up body would let him. Now that his adrenaline rush had subsided, his body felt heavy like lead once more. His breaths were laced with heavy exhaustion and fatigue. He fell to the twenty-one year old's side and observed him. Bullet holes litter his head and shoulders. The crimson substance oozing like thick syrup from his body littered the grassless ground below him.

The red ooze mixed in with a puddle of fresh rainwater, diluting the color, but never the less adding thickness to it. Strangely enough, the blonde was barely alive. How on Gaia could he still be clinging to life even with three bullet holes through his skull and out? Zack turned him over on his back, only to find that Cloud looked strangely content in his condition. His ever dulling eyes looked into the equally dull eyes of his friend.

"You...Had a promise t-to keep." Cloud weakly told him. "Aerith, right? Tell her I said...Hello." Cloud added, before his breathing stopped. He died. A content expression still on his face.

A thin smile was painted across his colorless lips, those eyes still staring at his friend lifelessly and still. It was unnerving to see the blonde like that. Those eyes seeming to follow the ravenette whichever way he seemed to lean, as if the former cadet had only been playing some kind of twisted trick on him. But the reality was harsh. Cloud really was dead.

Zack quickly shut his eyes and clenched his teeth. He couldn't tell if he was crying, or if it was just the rain slipping down his face. Regardless, it was cold and bitter and filled with defeat and grief. He wanted Cloud to come back -alive- with him. Zack gently rested his hand over the boys' eyes, and closed them. Now he just looked like he was peacefully sleeping. Sleeping forever.

For his sacrifice for his friend's longevity and dreams, the ravenette hoped that the blonde would be given a Valhalla from Odin. He deserved at least that much. Then something peculiar caught the former SOLDIER's eye.

It was strange. The blood around his head had formed a small red circle. It was shaped just like a thin halo, seeming to signify the innocence of the blonde as he slept in the slumber of the dead. The ravenette was silent for a few moments, though he worked his mouth to try and form a word, even a sound. But nothing escaped. After a few moments of wordless diction, words finally came to him.

"I'll tell her you said hello." Zack finally said over the crashing of the rain in painful drops to the ground.

He sat there, alone with his thoughts. The rain crashed without mercy, and lightning clashed across the sky. The thunder boomed overhead, sounding like a mighty war drum. When the harshness of the situation at hand finally reached him, a shaky sob left from slightly parted lips. His sword slipped from his hands and clattered against the ground. A soft splash was heard when the weapon collided with a large bloody puddle created from his best friend, and himself.

Why? Why did Cloud have to die? It just wasn't fair. He was just trying to distract the troopers from his friend, but instead he was killed. Zack let loose with a mighty scream, intensified by the loud thunder as the sky was painted purple from a clash of nearby lightning. After that scream, he felt weak all over again. Darkness began to creep into the corners of his vision. He looked down at himself to see thick scarlet blood still oozing from his body like little red rivers. How was he still alive?

He heard soft whirring in the mad sky from above. He looked up to see some black silhouetted shape in the sky, with a bright yellow light scoping the premises from left to right, then back again. It landed straight on Zack, illuminating his own horrid injuries and the blood surrounding him.

The silhouette continued its' advance, getting bigger by the second. It was a helicopter. The Turks possibly? He continued to stare at it, even when it touched down and the whirring of the blades died down. The Shin-Ra logo was painted on the large door as it slowly slid open. Out of the chopper came Cissnei, rushing out in a hurry.

"There you are! Goddess, you're still alive!" She shouted, running up to his side. Her face did have elation seeing he was alive, but it fell when she noticed the dead cadet by his side. Closed eyes and a peaceful face.

"They got him...Didn't they?" Cissnei asked.

Zack nodded mutely. Not even making a single sound. The rain continued to pelt the ground roughly, no mercy for the scene unfolding. It was silent for only a moment, the ravenette looking at his fallen friend, while the red head looked at the beaten down First Class.

Cissnei took out Cure Materia from her pocket and loaded it into a bracer on her right arm. there was a soft green light that washed over the ravenette and slowly mended his wounds. The bullet holes in his body closed up and vanished, as did the pain. She then crouched to the ground and used the Cure on Cloud. His bullet wounds disappeared as did the fresh blood. Now he really looked like he was sleeping.

Eternally sleeping.

"I'm afraid that's all I can do for him now." Cissnei said, with a monotonous tone in her voice. She got back up on her feet.

"Come on. We have to get you back to Shin-Ra. You have a lot to tell us." She said, offering Zack her hand.

Instead of taking her hand, he just gave her a narrow and pointed glare. The female Turk looked a bit shocked and slowly retracted her hand. That look in his eyes. It was cold. It was ominous. It was everything that the SOLDIER was not. With a moment of a cold stare and silence, the ravenette finally spoke up. His demand almost had Cissnei take a step back.

Who's 'Us', Cissnei? It can't be Sephiroth, it can't be Genesis, nor Angeal. Lazard is also dead, so who's running the show now?" Zack coldly inquired, narrowed eyes still glaring at her.

"Heidegger, and Rufus Shinra. Along with some other higher ups, wanting to hear your story." She replied uneasily, as if answering him would only make him further snap.

Zack did not respond to her reply, but he walked to the chopper. He did pause before entering the helicopter. He gave her a sideways glance before speaking up.

"Shin-Ra doesn't interest me as much as it did anymore. I'm only going back for personal reasons you know." He said, before getting into the chopper. Cissnei nodded and followed him in.

The chopper ride to Midgar was silent the whole way there. Zack only looked out the window of the chopper, and Cissnei decided to leave him be. By the time they made it back to Shinra, the rain had stopped and it was only partly cloudy now. They left from the landing pad on the roof of the building and made their way inside.

They took the elevator to floor 66, where the meeting room was located. Zack had his hands idly resting in his pockets and he looked down as he walked behind Cissnei as she led the way. They paused outside the large doors, Cissnei took the initiative and stepped inside first.

Upon arrival, Heidegger, Rufus Shinra, Scarlet, Reeve, and Tseng were sitting inside, situated at certain seats at the rectangular table. They were waiting for the two to enter. Upon entering, the small group of five turned their heads and looked towards the conference door.

"I've brought him, sir." Cissnei spoke up, directing her statement to Tseng, in which was sitting near the back of the room by the large window.

He nodded at her and she went to stand to the side near the door silently. Zack looked up, but kept his hands in his pockets. He approached the table silently with eyes of a predator that observes its' prey; Stealthy and deadly. Before anyone could ask him a single question, he growled at them.

"Who mobilized the army after us?" He demanded, giving each and every one of them a death glare with Mako eyes that burned blue cinders into each individual there.

"My old man did." Shinra spoke up, looking quite bored to be in this meeting. He had his elbows propped up onto the table and his faces was resting in his hands. His silvery-gray eyes were dull with his lack of enthusiasm.

Zack turned his attention onto him. "Why?" He glared, pulling his blood stained gloved hands out of his pockets.

Shinra only looked up at Zack, giving him a flicker of an amused smile. "How should I know?" He drawled with a devil-may-care grin.

Zack slammed his gloved hands against the wood table, making the whole thing tremble in vibrations.

**"Give me an answer now, or I'll be throwing you out of the conference window."** He threatened, narrowing his eyes into a deadly glare that no one thought the once bubbly Zack Fair could even muster.

Shinra stopped smiling at the First Class's display of behaviour. "He said that Hojo gave him orders." He responded.

"Hojo? Give the president orders? That's fucking hilarious." Zack sarcastically growled.

"Even my old man doesn't like that crazy old coot." Shinra said, shaking his head and offering a shrug.

"Well, if your dad ever sees that Bastard again, tell him Zack Fair said 'Fuck off'!" The ravenette spat, turning on his heel to storm out of the conference room.

"Zack." Tseng spoke up coldly, near apathetically.

the twenty-two year old looked back at him with angered eyes, not feeling very patient right now. The Turk did not say anything, but held a stern expression as he stared into Zack's eyes. He could see the anger and confusion behind them as well as pain and grief.

"I'm hear by giving you a two week vacation so you can regain your senses. It starts today. You are also going to be on close watch and you are not allowed to leave Midgar." He finally said.

Zack only stared at him before going through with storming out.

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><p>AN: So, how did I do with the revisions? Better I hope? :) I only added some more stuff with this chapter and tweaked a few things here and there, anyways, I'll try to have the other chapters revised and put up soon! :)

Until then my good readers!

Toodles!  
>~Zimithrus1<p>

PS: Hope you all had a great Christmas! :D


	2. Chapter 2

_Alright, Here we are with the second chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed the last one and I hope you'll like this super duper long chapter. Happy reading! :)_

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><p><em>~~Night Is Alive With The Smell Of Insane, It's Reaching For Me And It's Calling My Name...~~ <em>  
><em>~~St. John, by We Are The Fallen~~<em>

Three days. It had been three days since Zack had returned to Midgar.

Tseng had not been joking when he said that his vacation would be under some serious supervision. No matter where the ravenette seemed to go, he was always accompanied by two Turks that tailed him from the shadows and hardly ever -or never- showed their faces. The only glimpses that the former First Class got of the two was one with fiery red hair that looked like a mop on his head with a rat tail that he could have SWORN was an extension. The other had been bald and dark skinned, always wearing sunglasses no matter his location.

Zack felt as if he couldn't go anywhere without without Turks for babysitters. God forbid he buys groceries from the local market. Yet through the constant private eyes and heavy surveillance, something else less sinister had been astir. He started noticing that more females would stop and stare at him, then look at one another and whisper, giggling as they did so. Some of them even asked personal information like when his birthday was or what his favorite color was.

Turns out, a fan-club had been formed in his honor. They called themselves the 'Wolfling Pups'. The ravenette just KNEW that it had been some kind of slur about his old nickname. Even though he had been labeled as a fugitive no more than three days ago, all that had seemed to blow over once an old prized SOLDIER returned to Shin-Ra.

Since Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth were gone, there were no more top alphas or poster-boys for the SOLDIER program. Zack had become center of attention, basked in the spotlight that only the media could bring about. There was even talk of him being a hero. That had always been his dream, but now it was nothing but empty words to him.

After leaving Shin-Ra, he had noticed he was still in his blood stained uniform littered with bullet holes. He needed to change his clothes to try and get rid of that dried blood smell, not to mention take a shower. He had no Gil and no home other than his flat in the Shin-Ra building. So with a heavy grunt, he turned around to go back in there.

Tseng had been waiting for him outside of his old room when the ravenette arrived, and in his hands was a new key card for his place. He had lost his other due to the crazy shit going down in those past four years. When he stepped in, nothing had changed. The furniture was still in the same place as it had last been left before the fated mission in Nebelheim. The lights had all been switched on to illuminate the small flat as he inspected his old home. So the electricity had still been working after all this time.

He paused and stared for a moment when he saw his old bedroom. The queen sized bed was still messy as he had left it four years ago. One of the large sheets had been pulled off the bed and layed on the floor as a large jade green heap. The light tan pillowcase had been crumpled up on the left side, reveling the white pillow encased inside. Still as flat as ever, mind you. He stepped into the room and approached the closet. He opened up the door slowly and peered inside the small space.

There were a few shirts hanging neatly on black plastic hangers. They had all been arranged by the colors of a rainbow, reds on the very left, and blacks on the very right. On a few shelves to the left and right were neatly folded pants, most of them were black or dark gray. On the floor of the closet were a few shoes, maybe about two pairs tops. His Mako blue eyes scanned through the small selection of casual clothes he had and with a soft shrug, just pulled out some simple things.

He had decided on a light grey shirt with black short sleeves and black around the neck of the shirt. Black denim jeans with a single silver chain on the right side complemented the ensemble. For shoes, he just went with a pair of black boots that went halfway up his calf and had a few straps at the top that buckled up. After selecting the clothing, he made his way to the bathroom and flicked that light on next. Even the luxurious bathroom had remained untouched by time.

The plumbing still worked as well as the day he had left. Well, with one tiny exception. The hot water tank had busted, so he would have to take a freezing cold shower. He stripped from his old clothing and jumped into the shower, a few choice words coming from his mouth when the cold water felt more like sharp icicles attacking him. He was happy to know he still had plenty of shampoo and soap left.

After a quick ten minute shower due to the freezing cold water, he hoped out as quick as he could and wrapped a towel around himself just as swiftly. He spent a moment or two complaining about the hot water tank and how unreliable it was. After drying his body off, he used the towel to dry his hair instead so it wouldn't drip equally cold water all over him again. Afterwards, he changed into the fresher clothes and enjoyed the feeling of smelling like sweet peas instead of metallic blood.

He booked it out of Shin-Ra as quick as he could. He hated staying any longer than he had to in that place. It just made him unexplainably angry. He had only been walking around for only ten minutes before he got a glimpse of those two Turks tailing him again. He saw a flash of vibrant red hair whiz by, then disappear in the shadows. Reno Sinclaire: One of the most sarcastic and egotistical Turks the ravenette had ever encountered. Rude was taciturn as ever, hardly ever saying a single word.

Even though Zack was agile and quick on his feet, he could never shake the eyes of the Turks for more than five minutes, they always found a way to catch up with him to continue their observations. So, he usually just tried to ignore them as best as he could. If it had been Cissnei, that would have been better. It would have felt more like tagging along with an old friend and catching up, rather than feeling caged up like a criminal. Even though he still kind of was, even with dropped charges, so to speak.

Zack just continued on with his walk, doing his best to ignore his stealthy 'babysitters'.  
>Right now, he was currently wandering around the marketplace for the sector five slums. It still looked the same as ever, except that old pile of lumber was missing from its' spot near the accessory shop. The man running the shop had waved him down, asking where he had been all this time and how he was doing. The ravenette, still being who he was, made small talk with the man for a few minutes before breaking away to check out the rest of the shops and little odd end things located here.<p>

"Didn't I tell you that you have to be more careful on the streets, big guy?" A familiar voice spoke up from behind the ravenette.

Zack turned around and found himself face to face with that young boy that had stolen his wallet about five years ago. There he was, with his wallet again! The boy had grown considerably since then, his brown hair fell more into his eyes by this point, but his facial features had not changed a bit. A cocky grin pulled at the right side of his lips as he shook around the leather object in his left hand, kind of like how you would tease a cat with a piece of dangling string.

"Give that back!" Zack playfully exclaimed, able to yank his stolen wallet back into his own pockets. Even though the thing had nothing in it except an old receipt or two.

How have you been lately? I haven't seen you around in years!" The boy exclaimed, throwing his hands behind his head as he stood, his weight leaning to the right.

"I've been...Alright I suppose." The ravenette spoke, pausing mid-sentence due to sudden discomfort.

"Have you at least been talking with Aerith any?" The boy inquired, raising a brunette brow ever so slightly.

At_ HER_ name, Zack flinched as he took in a sharp breath. Aerith; the girl he had come back to Midgar for. The girl that Cloud died for. A mix of emotions began to swell within the First Class. His heart was fluttering in his chest at seeing his old girlfriend again, yet it hurt at the same time. He thought of his blonde friend, dying on those cliffs with a smile on his face and blood around his head shaped like a thin halo.

He didn't know what to think or feel at that moment, but also, a third emotion began to fester within. That uncontrollable rage was bubbling in his blood again. His hate for Shin-Ra, his disbelief towards the actions and situations in Nebelhiem. The undeniable_ FEAR_ from being caged up and experimented on for four years. His mind was being pulled in about four different directions. A longing to see Aerith once more, guilt and pain for his friend's death, confusion about Nebelhiem, and fear from Hojo and his crazy experiments.

"Hey, you okay big guy?" The brunette boy asked, pulling his hands away from behind his head as they fell to rest beside him.

"I-I...What-?..." Zack sputtered aimlessly.

His eyes bulged from his head as his hands embedded themselves tightly in his midnight black locks. His fingernails dug into his scalp and his knees buckled slightly, causing him to hunch over as he stood still. Hs arms began to quake and quiver like they did when he was knocking at death's door. His onset of fear brought about another wave of involuntary rage. His fear was linked to his anger, and vice versa.

He grit his teeth and grunted through closed lips, his eyebrows knitting together to pull into a deep glare without his body being aware he even went through the motions of facial motor movement. What was going on around him? What was going on WITH him? Unable to think straight, he bolted out of the market and deeper into the slums of sector five. Without thinking, he began to walk. In the back of his mind he knew the Turks had begun to watch him closer, yet through his mixed thoughts, he pushed them out.

Zack didn't know where he was going in all honesty. He was just aimlessly wandering around the slums of Midgar, unsure of what to do or where to go as he tried to gather his senses lost to a sudden onset of confusion. He stopped dead in his tracks when he stumbled upon the church. His eyes looked over every inch and detail that they could. He was still quite a ways away, but he could tell that some glass windows had been shattered through or cracked even from this distance. Suddenly, an urge swept over him. He NEEDED to see Aerith. He needed some closure for his raging thoughts.

He wanted her to be his anchor again. She had been there for him when he had gone through the grief of slaying his own mentor, one of his best friends. She had kept him grounded to reality, kept him sane and safe. He felt secure in her arms: Always. Thinking of her, that bout of insanity and confusion slipped to the back of his mind, gently gnawing, yet remaining quiet for the time being.

He could see the large and abandoned growing larger and larger as his pace quickened. It had deteriorated more since he had last seen it. More holes were littering the roof and some of the outside marble slabs were cracking. He found himself walking even faster, seeming like the building was starting to run away from him. He had broken out into a sprint as the illusion of the building kept shrinking further and further. That paranoia started to attack him again and his desperation to see the one he held dear increased. The illusion of the church vanishing had disappeared when his hand tightly gripped the large door handles.

He blinked a couple of times and realized that from that short sprint, he felt strangely winded. There was even sweat beginning to form on his forehead. He needed to calm down and get a grip over his thoughts before they consumed him again. He took in a shaky breath, in and out slowly. He did this a few times until he was able to calm his racing heart and gently lull his thoughts into something more tranquil, like the beautiful flowers inside.

Zack realized his heart was slamming against his chest furiously. He gave it no mind and assumed it was the nervous butterflies in his chest. Without wasting anymore time, the ravenette pushed against the doors to open them. They creaked and groaned loudly, as if complaining about being opened. His sixth sense could feel the presence of the Turks nearby. He did a quick double take behind him. He saw a flash of long red hair hide behind a metal pillar in the distance. Rude was nowhere to be seen.

The First Class then swiveled his head back and opened the large wooden doors up all the way. Sunlight poured in through the opening as he made his way into the church. He had his eyes downcast to the creaking wooden planks below his booted feet. There were small wood splinters scattered about here and there, some loose nails barely staying put in their designated plank of wood.

With eager eyes, he looked up in sudden anticipation thinking Aerith would be tending to the flowers as usual. But his eyes fell when he saw the empty church. He stepped further inside, approaching the flower bed. Colors of yellows and creamy oranges surrounded the soil in which they were growing. Zack stopped in front of them and stared at them, soaking in as much detail as his eyes could see.

He flopped down onto the old wooden floor of the church and sat criss-crossed. He rested his face in his hands, letting his elbows dig into his legs to hold his arms up. His fingers gently drummed against his jaw without him realizing he was doing so. He was antsy. Where was she? She was always here in the past. Where could she be? Selling flowers with her wagon? No, the wagon broke. Kunsel sent him a message through his PHS after escaping the Nebelheim basement, saying how the thing had broke.

Maybe she was at her house? Perhaps tending the flowers she had in her own garden? That might be it. That had to have been it. In the end, Zack convinced himself that Aerith was just taking care of the flowers at her own house and would return here shortly. The drumming against his face sped up the longer he sat there in his anticipation. Where WAS she? His right leg even started to bounce in its' cris crossed position. Time ticked by slowly for him.

He sat there for a long time. His legs going numb from his elbows digging into them. He was about to give up, until he heard laughter. _HER_ laughter. He quickly rose to his feet and whirled around to face the open door. He had a big smile on his face upon hearing her again, but his face quickly contorted to confusion when she walked in holding onto another man's arm. An acquaintance perhaps? That had to have been it. Aerith looked ahead and her face fell into shock.

"Zack?" She asked in disbelief.

"The one and only." He replied with a tender voice. God, she was just so breathtaking. That angelic voice, how had he ever survived without it?

In these past four years she had grown even more beautiful, if that was even possible since she was already drop-dead stunning to begin with. She was dressed in a long pink button up dress that cut off a few inches above her ankles. Some of the buttons further down were undone, giving her legs some room to stride properly. A red denim short sleeved jacket was resting over her dress and that pink bow that Zack had bought for her was still secure in her curly almond brown hair.

The man that was next to Aerith looked quite mad to see Zack standing there. His eyebrows had been locked into a small scowl. The man was big, probably as big as the First Class SOLDIER currently standing by the pastel flowers. He had deep jade green eyes with a forest green tinge bursting around his pupils. His chocolate brown hair was pulled into a medium length ponytail, but the hair that was not secure fell into his face. A set of side swept bangs crossed over his forehead and covered up his left eye.

He was dressed in very simple clothes. An off white tank top that looked to be about a size too big for him and khaki cargo pants. The pants looked a bit small, but still seemed to fit him nicely. Scuffed skater shoes complemented the outfit, yet also made it look a bit more run-down, so to speak. It bothered the ravenette to see that one shoe was not tied, yet the other was. He shook that from his thoughts.

Zack stopped smiling and his eyes narrowed at this man due to the way he and his girlfriend looked very close. Why was she holding on to him? Why did he look so angry with the First Class? So many questions that he had no answers to began to gently gnaw in his head again. He thought seeing Aerith would help, but it was only making the confusion a whole lot worse.

Aerith gently dropped the man's hand and took a step towards the ravenette. Her beautiful milky green eyes were downcast and strangely clouded, and... She looked so sad all of a sudden. Zack cocked his head to the right ever so slightly, his eyes softening for her as he asked if she was alright without a voice and with his eyes alone. Her milky white hands gently clasped with one another as her sad eyes slowly looked up to her boyfriend from four years ago.

"Hello, Zack. It's been awhile." She nearly muttered, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Zack? Isn't that the guy you always talked about?" The mystery man asked, quite annoyed as his eyes shot over at the ravenette in an accusatory manner.

"Yes. He is." Aerith replied with a nod of her head, voice just as soft.

Suddenly, the man approached Zack in a hostile manner. He paused just inches away form the First Class. He was just slightly shorter than the ravenette, about an inch or two smaller. There was a growl in his voice when he spoke. "You've got some guts, dont'cha mister high n' mighty?" He accused.

Zack readied his stance, prepared to assault this man if necessary. Who was he to get in HIS face and demand answers from HIM? "I've got guts? No sir, _you've_ got guts thinking you can take _Me_ on." Zack snarled, not liking this man's tone.

"You're the guy that Aerith always talked about. Yeah, I thought you might have been a good guy at first, but then she told me you just up and vanished. Here you are now. I say again, you've got some guts coming back for her now after all these years." He growled, his face so close to the SOLDIER's own that their foreheads had nearly collided when he had leaned in closer.

"I had my reasons. You better watch it,_ BOY._" Zack spat, gritting his teeth as he clenched his left fist tightly. He could still pack a Mean punch if provoked.

"So, where the Hell did you disappear to for four years? Aerith told me she wrote you so many letters and you never sent one back. Didn't even call her or nothing! Explain that." He growled, his forehead now butting into Zack's.

The ravenette_ HAD_ it after that. His balled up left fist and wound up for several seconds before he let loose with a mean left handed haymaker, right to this dumb guy's jaw. He stumbled back, enough force behind the blow to actually sent him crashing to the rotting wood floor below him. Aerith gasped softly from her spot where she stood, delicate hands going to cover up her mouth.

"I don't have to explain _ANYTHING_ to _YOU_! You better watch your tongue and learn your place before I beat it into you." Zack snarled, snorting harshly at the man on the ground.

The brunette scrambled up to his feet, a burly right hand instantly covering up the site of damage. His eyes glared daggers at the ravenette, but the twenty-two year old counteracted with his own 'go to Hell' look. The smaller man growled, then balled up his hands into fists as well, ready to strike the SOLDIER. The First Class accepted the challenge with a smug smile as he raised his own fists. Beating an ignorant dipshit up would be a great way to relieve his stress.

"Stop it, both of you!" Aerith cried, getting in between the two men. Her right hand was against the brunette's chest while her left was against Zack's own.

She shot both of them warning glares, telling them to stand down and back off. The ravenette immediately pulled his fists back down to his sides and flexed his fingers instead. The other needed a bit more coaxing to do the same, but eventually gave in to the brown haired beauty. Her milky green eyes gently gazed at her old boyfriend as she took her hands away from each man. She stood tenderly and her hands clasped together again as she looked at him.

"Zack? Would you answer me if I asked where you were these past years?" She asked softly.

He had meant to be gentle when he answered her question, meant to use a soft and delicate tone like nothing had gone wrong in his life. But he did not make it sound so carefree, which used to be one of his specialties. Time spent in a lab had been a rust to his social skills. It changed him, and in a way, rusted himself. His explanation was shaky, all over the place when he spoke. It was not delicate or carefree, it was strained and terrified.

"I was caged up Aerith. Caged, and I mean that literally. If you count a test tube as a cage anyway. I had these terrible things done to me day in and day out for the past four years. After...The Nebelheim incident where Sephiroth reduced the entire village to ashes and splinters, me and my friend were taken away. A scientist named Hojo stashed us away underground in the basement of the Shin-Ra manor.  
>Every day for four years he'd cut us open, inject us with strange substances, let us pickle in Mako for hours and hours on end, and God knows what he did to us when his crazy tests knocked us conscienceless. After a lot of time had passed, I was able to break me and my friend free from that godforsaken place. The army had been mobilized after our escape, tracking us down wherever they could, even the Turks too.<p>

"We made it to the outskirts of Midgar, but the army had finally caught up to us. They...Killed my friend. He died for me so I could come back and see you again. So... That's where I've been these past few years. Fighting off what I could to get back to you." Zack explained, his voice nearly gone by the end of his tale.

"Why the fuck should we believe you?" The man asked rudely, jumping in uninvited.

"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to Aerith. Now shut up and let the adults speak." The ravenette chided.

That caused the brunette man to let loose with a string of curse words as he stamped around on the ground aimlessly. Trying his best to blow off steam, which he was doing a very pitiful job at.

Aerith looked very heartbroken all of a sudden, and there was a certain moisture in her eyes that only future tears could bring. Zack was puzzled. Did his story really shake her up that much or was it something else? She took in a shaky breath as her eyes met with his. There was pain behind them as well as something else that the ravenette couldn't quite place. Then he understood what that look was when she finally spoke up.

"I thought you would never come back. It had been four years and I sent you so many letters that you never replied too. I even sent that little dog monster that hung out here. But even my last letter you didn't reply to. I just, gave up. Then, I met someone else." She said with a somber tome.

Zack's Mako blue eyes bulged. So she was seeing this man? He took a step back from her. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't happen! His mouth moved to try and form words, but no sound escaped. His face had drained of all color and now rivaled the appearance of a ghost. How? Why? He could feel his sanity crumbling right then and there.

"Now you know...I'm sorry, Zack. But I moved on." She stated, quickly turning away from him as she stood beside the other man.

This just couldn't be happening. It couldn't! He stood there, speechless for many, many moments. He pictured him and Cloud returning to Midgar, both as heroes proclaimed by the media. He pictured him and Aerith being together until they were old and grey and all the had left was each other. Days spent in loving embraces had been stripped away in this one moment.

Zack's entire world just came crashing down.

He wasn't even aware he had been crying until he felt a tear slip out of his right eye. Using a shaky hand, he wiped it away and stared at the moisture clinging to his index finger. It glistened even in this dim lighting. He looked back up to see Aerith with a sympathetic look in her eyes, but nothing more than that. He saw no spark of love that they once had, no flame of desire or embers of passion. All that had died away with time.

He quickly bolted from the church, not looking back. He stopped at the end of the concrete steps and stood silently for only a moment. When those large wooden doors slammed shut, he broke down right then and there. He fell to his knees, hunched over on the ground with his hands supporting himself from falling over as tears fell with the force of gravity and splashed against his clenched hands below.

The only reason he came back was for Aerith and for her alone. His best friend died for nothing. _Nothing_: It was such an empty word usually. But this time it held _Everything_. A loud and disgruntled sob broke through his lips, echoing into the vastness of the slums. Without any indication, his sorrow turned straight to rage. He started to scream. He screamed so viciously he sounded more like a wild beast than a man. He balled up his left hand into a fist, then struck the concrete ground below him. The ground underneath his body cracked and splintered like glass or old wood.

Suddenly, the tears stopped. In its wake, something inside was struggling to break free.

Not wanting to feel broken or enraged, he let whatever the hell was inside him to make its way to the surface. Embers of hate and anger swelled inside him, reflecting through his eyes. He could only feel anger and hate festering like a disease running through his hot and heated blood. He began to hate everything. Even the girl he had grown to love. Through the hate he felt, there was something else just scratching below the surface. It made him twitch with anticipation, and a twitch even developed in his left eye because of it. Whatever it was, it felt _GOOD_.

There was an uncontrollable urge festering deep within him. An urge to cause pain to others as well as suffering. He got up from the ground, the new sensation within him giving him some kind of lively animation. Chuckling started to arise from his throat. It was deep and gruff at first, but as the insanity grew, that chuckling became high pitched, crazed laughter. His blue eyes were bugged out as he laughed and a sick smile spread across his face like a Cheshire cat, looking completely twisted.

"Yo! What the Hell is wrong with you?" A slick voice echoed from across the distance of the slums. It was Reno.

Zack quickly spun on his heel, giving the red headed Turk a glimpse of the psychopathic look in his eyes and smile. He was still laughing, but had now become softer, and he would grunt out a chuckle on occasion. The Turk looked almost afraid when he saw the ravenette grinning and laughing like that. He approached him with cautious steps.

"Reno! Heya Re-no! How goes the SOLDIER babysitting? Are you having _fu-n?_" Zack sang playfully as that laughter became more high pitched and sinister sounding.

"Okay, what the hell is wrong with you? Cryin' an screamin' one sec' and now you're all...Like this!" Reno exclaimed, using his hands to gesture all of the First Class.

Suddenly, Rude appeared from the shadows of a broken metal pillar, approaching his partner's side with a wary glance behind his eyes, well, behind the sunshades. You could never really tell what he looked like with those things on all the time. He stood beside Reno, a stoic expression on his face as usual. The red head was the flamboyant one after all.

"Rude, good timing. I think it's time that Fair's little walk is over with." The shorter Turk stated, slowly pulling out his MRE from a hidden pocket in his jacket suit.

"He-y! There's no need for that! I'll play nice, I pro-mise!" Zack drawled, still using that singsong tone as he threw his hands up and cocked his head to the right, imitating his old puppy dog pout. He still kept giggling like a child as he did so.

Reno still kept pulling the MRE out with slow and fluid motions, as if a jerky one would sent the First Class into some kind of crazed stupor. But the ravenette lowered his eyebrows into a glare and his eyes hardened like stone in seconds as his gaze never broke away from the red head's weapon. In his peripheral vision, he saw Rude ready his hands into fists down by his sides. His blue eyes snapped back over to Reno and he tsk'ed twice before speaking.

"You aren't going to play nice, are you?" He asked rhetorically.

Without letting the two Turks even have time to think, Zack dashed up behind Reno, gripping the arm with the MRE secured in his right hand. With a quick and fuild motion, he swiftly dislocated the red head's shoulder. This caused him to let out a cry of pain and drop his weapon. Rude rushed at the ravenette next, but the First Class let go of Reno's useless arm and nudged his body into his partner's. It caused both bodies to stagger back a few steps, giving Zack enough time to book it back to Shin-Ra.

He let out a happy sounding laugh as he dashed through the marketplace and towards the train station platform. He saw a few people boarding and exiting the locomotive leisurely, as if it was just another normal day. To him, it was the dawn of a new way of living. Whatever insanity was eating him up inside, he loved every minute of it. It took away his pain and fear.

All of his other emotions were kicked out in this bout of not-too-harmless fun. With this feeling gnawing around in his body, he didn't even feel rejected or saddened that Aerith had moved on, couldn't even feel the lingering guilt of his friend's death. No longer did he posses fear from those years in the labs, but now it was all replaced with a lust for a kill, some deadly fun, if you will. It was all going to be satisfied in Shin-Ra.

He heard the two Turks hot on his trail. He heard Reno shouting how he was going to kill him for dislocating his shoulder. Sounds like he was doing well. Zack snickered, then jumped on top of the train, deciding to ride it a different way that usual. If only he had his sword earlier, he probably would have hacked through the Turks and maybe other people if they managed to piss him off enough. Just as the train pulled away from the station did Reno and Rude show up. Zack just sat down on top of the locomotive, raised his right hand and began to wave.

"Au revior! Toodles! I'll miss you and think about you always!" He teased as the large machine began to pick up speed.

Even though Reno was barely a figure now, he could have sworn the red head just had the balls to flip him off. So he returned the 'kind' hand gesture, then began to laugh and chortle once more. He really loved feeling this good! Why didn't he give into this sooner? Insanity; that's what changed Sephiroth. That, and some troubled past and meddlesome manipulation from a certain psycho-scientist. He can see why the Silver Demon of Wutai had changed the way he did. He finally saw how deceitful Shin-Ra really was. Madness, what a wonderful feeling indeed.

Thinking into it a little bit more, it was no wonder why Genesis had defected from Shin-Ra the way he did. All of SOLDIER's Alphas were nothing more than experiments and pawns in a game of chess played by a madman mastermind. He truly had been a Shin-Ra lapdog back then, blinded by his loyalty to the company that he didn't see the sinister truth bubbling and simmering just beneath the surface. The company was nothing but a tower of lies and pain. How could he have not seen this before?

He felt the locomotive begin to slow down. Zack brought himself from his thoughts and saw the mighty piece of shit company tower looming overhead. With an eager smile and a lust to feed the insanity bubbling below his skin, he jumped from the train when it had slowed down enough. When he landed on the platform, he heard a gasp from someone inside. They must have been unaware that they had a free rider sitting on the roof of the train.

Not wasting anytime, Zack sprinted towards the Shin-Ra building. Excitement began pumping through his blood. Adrenaline made him run faster than usual, and within a few minutes, he had reached the doors of the company. Oh, if only he had his sword, he could have fun skewering everybody inside. He strolled inside without a care in the world, as if he wasn't about to just snap and kill anyone he could. That twitch in his left eye became a little more furious and a little eerie grin was trying to tug at the corners of his lips.

He looked all around the lobby, as if just scoping out the surroundings. But in all technicality he was just looking for something decent to use as a good weapon. It had been like luck had turned and was on his side now. A SOLDIER Second Class was approaching him and he even had the Buster sword dragging along side him. He had left the weapon in the meeting room and never went back to retrieve it. Normally, he'd chide someone for dragging the thing, let alone even handle it like that, but right now he was elated to see it being brought over to him.

"Zack! It's you! Do you remember me? It's Luxiere!" The Second Class exclaimed. Of course for the ravenette, it was hard to tell anyone from anyone when they always wore those helmets on their head.

"Oh hey! Luxie! How _ARE_ you doing? But one more thing, why do you have my sword?" Zack asked, trying to tone down on the insanity scraping against the back of his head.

God he just wanted to run someone through. Not Luxiere here though, since he was bringing him his sword after all. He supposed he could at least spare a few people from his slaughter. He wasn't _THAT_ insane, or was he? His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the Second Class start to speak up.

"Oh, I overheard a Turk radio in that you were on your way back here. I didn't get the details, but I thought you might be coming back for your sword. I figured I'd just give it to you." Luxiere spoke up, handing the blade over to its' rightful owner.

"Mighty kind of you Lux'! You think you could do me a quick favor?" Zack asked as he gripped the hilt in both hands tightly.

"Sure, what is it?" The Second Class asked.

"Run. Run and don't come back here for a long time." The ravenette growled, raising the sword eye level for a moment, getting used to the weight of it again.

"Wait, what?" The helmed SOLDIER stammered, confused at the tone and request of his friend.

"Get out!" Zack screeched at him with a volume that silenced the lobby and had everyone stop and stare at the owner of the voice.

The way the First Class had screamed caused Luxiere to turn tail and run out the front doors of the lobby. There was something buried within that voice that un-nerved the Second Class, it was a terrible and frightening feeling. As soon as he ran out, screams echoed from within, screams of fear and pain. Luxiere kept running like he was told to do. Too afraid to turn around and see what was wrong.

Zack had just ran a wayward trooper through and through. The cadet slipped to the ground with a loud thunk. That's when the screams started. Oh, they sounded_ SO_ good in the ravenette's ears. He wanted more. His teeth tightly gritted together and the grip on his sword tightened into a vice grip. He began to laugh like a madman as the twitching in his eyes became furious now. The lobby was alight in panic and fright. People were running around and screaming bloody murder. It was all just music to Zack, like a sweet song he could hear over and over again.

Several units of infantrymen were called down to the lobby to fight off the renegade SOLDIER. Of course, they would be no match. The ravenette remembered the army coming at him like this. He thought it would make him angry, but if anything, it just made him more excited to kill them all. With a maniac like laugh, He lunged at the cadets, easily slicing through them with the massive sword. Entrails and organs slipped from their decapitated bodies as cries of pain echoed sweetly throughout the lobby.

He continued to slice through the cadets like a knife through warmed butter. Blood splattered on the floors and the walls. Some of the blood even got on his new change of clothes, making the grey into more of a dirty looking red. Some Third Class SOLDIER's were sent out next. Zack was nearly excited to slice through a tougher challenge. He easily cut those down to size. A large psychotic smile began to creep across his face.

He couldn't even remember the last time he had this much fun!

Seconds and some new Firsts were sent out next. Zack cut those in half too. Soon, the lobby floor was littered with bleeding bodies and it was getting harder to maneuver around the large room. Some newer cadets and SOLDIER's kept tripping over the dead ones. What lousy footwork!

This batch of morons put the SOLDIER name to shame. They just don't make 'em like they used too apparently. After getting tired of stepping on the bodies of the dead, he made his way up the red carpet stairs, hacking and slashing whoever or whatever got in his way. Not even potted plants were spared from his insanity.

As he was making his advance up the stairs, a familiar face appeared. Kunsel, without that helmet usually glued to his head. His shaggy black-grey hair a mess in his light silvery-lavender eyes. He looked shocked to see his friend cutting down all of their strongest SOLDIER's like nothing. What had he become?

"Zack! What are you doing!" Kunsel cried as his standard issued sword clashed with his friend's mighty one.

His friend did not answer him but only pressed further into his sword swing, cracking the enforced steel with ease. Kunsel pushed back, but the sword snapped by the hilt and Zack's sword sliced into his arm. He cried out in pain and stumbled back, dropping the hilt of the sword. The ravenette looked unphased and acted apathetic even though he just sliced into one of his friend's. His eyes were still burning for a kill or two. Just a little more.

"Look at yourself! You're becoming as crazy as Sephiroth!" Kunsel shouted, Back stepping when his insane former friend approached him with heavy steps and cold, crazy eyes.

Zack stopped for a moment, putting his left hand up under his chin as his eyes rolled up in his thoughts as if he was taking a few moments to process what his old friend had told him. Even when a Third Class came up behind him, he was able to decapitate the man swiftly without even looking behind him. He still looked lost in mock thought.

"Just stop!" Kunsel begged desperately, hoping to talk some sense into his friend.

"No Kunsel, Sephiroth wasn't crazy. He was right to turn on Shin-Ra." The renegade SOLDIER finally said, raising his sword again.

"What are you saying? This isn't the Zack I know!" Kunsel exclaimed, his voice becoming less timid and more determined, almost as if he was wary.

"_The Zack you knew is dead!_" The ravenette shouted, getting in his friend's face and snarling at him.

Kunsel backed up as much as he could before stumbling and falling to the ground. The crazy First Class pinned him there with his mighty sword drawn up dangerously close to Kunsel's neck. The Second Class was left stunned and speechless. He just couldn't believe that someone like Zack Fair could ever turn against Shin-Ra. He didn't even think the ravenette had it in him to kill all of these innocent people.

"Zack...Why would you betray Shin-Ra? Why are you becoming like Sephiroth and Genesis?" He asked, tilting his head away from the massive blade.

The ravenette's sword jutted even closer to Kunsel's throat. His adam's apple was visible when he swallowed hard. His eyes were locked on Zack, trying to understand where his friend was coming from or why he was doing what he was doing. More importantly, why he was killing without so much as a grimace.

"Because they knew how twisted Shin-Ra was. I just wish I could have seen it sooner. You don't know anything, Kunsel. They're keeping you in the dark. The three greatest SOLDIER's were all parts of experiments performed by none other than this piece of shit company we work for. I was almost one too, but now I see their ways. They don't care about sacrificing cadets or even lower class SOLDIER's. What a messed up world we truly live in." Zack sighed, shaking his head.

"Zack, Don't do this! Think of the consequences! You were just relieved of being called a fugitive, but now here you are, throwing yourself under the bus again." Kunsel brought up.

The ravenette paused in his actions, his friend's words sinking in ever so slowly to try and mask the murderous urge deep inside. That harsh gnawing dwindled down to a funny feeling in the back of his head. He lowered the sword from Kunsel's neck, taking in a deep breath before shooting a pointed glare at the Second Class.

"I'll let you live Kunsel. I'll let you find out just how corrupt Shin-Ra really is." He spoke, turning on his heel and back down the stairs, slicing up whoever came at him.

His enthusiasm to kill had been curbed by the words of his friend. It made him feel all bitter again. It was true though, he was nothing more than a fugitive on the run not three days ago. Once his name had been cleared, he jumped right back on the bandwagon of 'Man on the run'. Oh well, it was funner like that anyways.

Eventually, he began to get so sick of this place that killing the cadets wasn't fun anymore. He had already exterminated every SOLDIER within sight. He just shrugged, becoming bored, and he walked right out of the front doors. By this time, it was the dead of night. It was a deafening kind of silence. No crickets, not even the rush of the fountain in LOVELESS plaza not too far away.

Great. He littered his fresh clothes with blood again. His black and grey shirt was covered in scarlet red, he could see spots of darker black where blood had splattered onto his black pants. He heaved a heavy sigh. He'd need to get a new change of clothes again, but he wasn't about to go back in that accursed building again. For now, he'd have to go foraging for Gil so he could at least have a place to rest his head for the remainder of the night.

He was on his own now. No Mako comatosed blonde to converse with, no girlfriend to spent the early hours with, no friends to call. He took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly, shaking his head as he did so. He was already starting to get tired. Maybe if he was lucky enough, he could find some shelter at least somewhere. He'd try the slums of sector five.

The Vagabond life was certainly a lonely one.

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><p><em>AN: And there's chapter two :) It was definitely longer than I planned on making it! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought of it, okay? :3_

_As always, I'll see you in the next chapter!_

_Toodles!_  
><em>~Zimithrus1<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_Alright, here's chapter three of Vagabond! :) I hope that last chapter was up to par and good reading material for you all. Well, I won't keep you up here long. Enjoy chapter three =3 _

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><p><em>~~What A Shame, What A Shame To Judge A Life That You Can't Change. The Choir Sings, The Church Bells Ring, So Won't You Give This Man His Wings?...~~ ~~What A Shame, by Shinedown~~<em>

Rain. It was raining again, just like how it rained on the cliffs no more than three days ago. Minus the pounding of the large water drops to the concrete ground below, the night was still. Zack looked up towards the clouded sky from his spot in LOVELESS plaza sitting in the ally ways.

The Buster sword rested to the right of him, scintillating drops of water appeared to make the blade shimmer even in the darkness of this night. A few raindrops slithered down his face and the refreshing cold they brought felt nice upon his heated skin. It also began to wash the fresh blood from his clothes. This felt just like the cliffs all over again, atmosphere and all. There was only one difference.

Cloud was not with him.

He brought his head down and shook it, flinging a few stray water drops from his hair. His clothes were already becoming soaked from only a few minutes out in the rain with no shelter. Evidence of his insanity washed away with the rain, taking the form of tiny red rivers slithering across the cracking concrete. He watched the red liquid snake away using the motions of a serpent. His once vibrant Mako blue eyes had dulled to nothing but a dead and lifeless slate blue.

Thunder rumbled overhead softly, giving some more noise and moisture to the silent and parched earth below. Zack embraced his knees and rested his forehead against them. At first the rain had felt refreshing, but now it was just cold to him. He shivered slightly and closed his eyes. Memories began to play in his head like a movie. He remembered how every-time something sad happened or something that was just heartwrentching, it would rain like it was now.

It rained like this when he killed Angeal. It rained like this on the cliffs when his friend died. It was raining even now. The ravenette grit his teeth, gnashing them together tightly. Did Minerva think it was funny to do that? As if somehow adding rain to some depressing scene, it would just add emphasis and make a good show high above? He snorted roughly through his nose, he hated feeling like this. Now that his bout of crazy had died away, he felt weak and vulnerable all over again.

He had sat there, probably for fifteen minutes until he had started to violently shake due to those damn cold raindrops. As much as he didn't want to move, he knew he had to find shelter. He gripped his weapon in his right hand, squeezing the hilt tightly as if that alone would clear those memories from his head.

With regret, he stood up from his spot and made his way out of the ally. The mighty blade dragged alongside him, the owner lacking any kind of confidence to hold it up high like he had done before. He still expected sector eight to be null and void of any kind of life like it was just moments ago, but he didn't know he was going to be wrong.

There were troopers storming out from the Shin-Ra building, rifles armed in their hands as they patrolled the sector. Zack quickly ducked back into the ally and back to his spot of sanctuary. Shit! The rest of the troopers that weren't slaughtered were probably mobilized after him again. He knew he should have just leveled the whole goddamn building. He clutched his blade even tighter in his hand, tight enough that his knuckles began to turn white.

He heard a few commanders bark out some order to the lower grunts as they continued to look around sector eight. So far, they had bypassed LOVELESS plaza, which wasn't very far off from the Shin-Ra building. The ravenette poked his head out of the ally again to get a better glance at the situation he put himself in. There were probably five of them by the fountain. Another four were close to the plaza, and another six were scouring further into sector eight. They were all over the damn place apparently!

He needed to find better shelter than this. If he stayed put, they'd eventually find him. He didn't think his battle battered body would take on another horde of cadets and commanders again. He hadn't had much time to recover from the first go round. If he fought too hard or too long, he'd be sure to quickly collapse no matter how many ethers or cures he used.

When the few by the fountain and the mouth of the plaza began to search further into sector eight with their comrades, Zack swiftly dashed out of the ally-way and bypassed the cadets he saw. He took the stairs, evading their eyes. He hoped the trains would still be operable, even in these late hours of the night. He ducked into another ally when two cadets began to walk in his direction from the trains. This was Modeoheim all over again! Except this time, there was no treasure to be found or no small blonde cadet to show how to maneuver in situations like these.

The two cadets stopped right in front of the ally that the ravenette had ducked into. He held his breath, hoping to the goddess that they wouldn't turn around and find him. Instead, they turned to one another and began to talk. This allowed Zack to have some light shed on what was going on now.

"Can you believe that one, _ONE,_ rouge First Class could dessimate half of our units?" The shorter of the two spoke up from under his helmet.

"Man, didn't you hear the whole story? It wasn't just us that he went trigger happy with, so to speak. He took out every single Third Class we had!" The taller of the two exclaimed, holstering his rifle for the time being.

_"EVERY_ Third Class?" The second one gasped, completely baffled by this news.

"Yeah! That's not all either! He took out all of our Second Classes except for two of them! He was even able to take down nearly all of our First Classes too! Only three of them were able to escape, that's what I heard anyway." The first explained.

"Wow! It's no wonder he put us on Code Red lock down. Well, AVALANCHE is also on the move too." The second said, sounding strangely winded.

"I can't believe the guy still has a fanclub. He must have been one hell of a SOLDIER back in the day. Shame he's not on our side. I really don't want to kill anyone. Former Shin-Ra, or terrorist." The first said with a sigh and a shrug of his shoulders.

"I know what you mean, especially a SOLDIER capable of slaughtering hundreds of us." The second chimed in as they walked away from the ally to continue scouring the sector.

Zack poked his head out and watched the two go down the stairs towards the fountain. Seems he put the whole building in lock down. The last time they had done that was when Genesis clones attacked the Shin-Ra company about five years ago. But what was this AVALANCHE they spoke of? Must be some little rebel group out to take Shin-Ra down.

Ri-ight. The ravenette was plenty capable of doing that on his own. He already slaughtered half the building anyways. Not wasting any more time, he quickly fled from the cover of the ally and hurried to the platform where the trains would be waiting. He made sure he was aware of his surroundings as he ran, making sure to look left and right before darting out into clear view.

He noticed a few Shin-Ra troops patrolling around the streets, rifles out and voices at a hush-hush. As if they'd be able to sneak up on him. The Turks though, those guys were a whole new ballgame. He hadn't seen any yet, but if the building was on lock down then they'd probably be close by. He saw the train platform up ahead, but there were about three troopers standing around the only working train. Of course they'd sent reinforcements here, he was a man on the run after all.

He crept up closer to them, hiding behind lamp posts or garbage cans. They hadn't caught wind of him yet and were just shooting the breeze with one another. There was a tingle in the ravenette's right arm. It was that lust to kill once more. He squeezed the hilt of the blade tightly. He blended in with the shadows, only feet away from them now. They were still unaware that he was literally right behind them. A sadistic smile crept across his face again. Without sound, he lunged.

He sliced through the first once effortlessly, smiling even more eerily. The second cried out and raised his gun to fire, but the former First Class was quicker. He swung his massive blade up, cutting through the weapon and the cadet himself. The second fell to the ground with a sickening thud, just like the first one before him. The third was about to radio in for help, but the ravenette just punched him in the gut and took the radio.

He tossed it up into the air and readied his sword like a baseball bat. When it came down to eye level, he swung the massive blade and the force sent the radio into the troopers face and gut in multiple splinters of wires and chunks of machinery. The last one fell to the ground, crying out and squirming on the ground like a little worm. Zack began to laugh then, and his boot came crashing down onto the trooper's helmet, cracking it with near ease.

He then pulled his right foot back, then kicked the cadet right in the middle of his nose. The cartilage snapped and went flying back into his brain to knock against the back of his skull. He stopped screaming and moving. With that, the ravenette chuckled one last time. Even though he wore no hat, he made the motion of tipping a hat to the slain cadets before jumping on the only working train. Only moments after he boarded did the doors slide shut and the locomotive began to move.

Without a care in the world, Zack plopped down on one of the seats, pulling his legs up and stretching them out. He crossed them by the ankles as he rested his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Hopefully he wasn't careless enough to get blood on his clothes again, then all the weirdos would think of him as even worse then themselves. He was left alone with his thoughts, hearing nothing but the rattling of the train against the tracks in which they roamed.

It wasn't until the PA went off that the ravenette opened up his right eye, keeping the left closed as he lounged about. The announcement stated that the current time was twelve o' three AM and that the next stop would be the slums of sector seven. With a soft growl echoing from his stomach and not really any plan, the former SOLDIER decided he'd get off at the next stop to see if some rundown joint could fix him up some food. He was still lacking a decent amount of gil and probably only had about thirty on him at the moment.

When the train began to slow down, Zack opened his left eye and sat up. He stretched his arms above his head for a moment before letting them fall to his sides. As soon as the mighty locomotive stopped and opened the doors, he grabbed his sword and made for the doors. The rain had stopped by this point due to him being under the plate, but he could still hear it drumming from above. The sector was about as rundown as five, which was not too far away from here.

There weren't very many people outside at this time of night, but he did happen to see a group of people all conversing outside of what looked to be a bar called 'Seventh Heaven'. Now that name took Zack back. He had come up with that name for the man building the bar a few years ago. He wondered if the man went through with building that secret hideout for some anti-Shin-Ra group. That would be ironic.

He continued to approach the group, also looking around and taking in the sights of this sector. The only ones he had ever been to were five and the marketplace for it. Not to mention that small rundown park right next to this sector. As he neared the group, he noticed there was someone in the center of their circle. He couldn't hear much right now, but he could tell the ringleader was trying to get answers from the guy in the middle.

Zack stopped right beside the group, a few of them turning to look at him. He paid no mind and just listened in on the conversation between the man in the circle and the leader of this little band. He kept his dull blue eyes on the man in the center. He had black hair that was thick and fell into his face like dark feathers, and even had a bit of stubble around his jawline. His bright orange eyes displayed annoyance. He was clothed in a Shin-Ra uniform, in fact. He looked a bit on the tough side, but the big buff black man with a machine gun for his right arm looked far more intimidating.

"Hey, you mind giving us some space, ya' weirdo?" The black man grunted, just glancing at Zack for only a moment, his machine gun arm pressed against the brunette man's temple to keep him from fleeing.

"Me? I'm just seeing what all the fuss is about over here." The ravenette casually responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"We're in the middle of some interrogating here." Another brunette man spoke up, standing right next to the big guy. He had a red bandana in his hair and almost looked like second in command.

Zack ignored him and his eyes went back to the cadet in the center. He was still refusing to talk, even with a gun pressed up to his head. The ravenette could tell that the man was not even intimidated in the slightest. He couldn't resist rolling his eyes at the tactics that this group used. The leader threatened to take his life if he didn't talk, the man with the bandana would second that statement, and the only female in the group would sneer at the man in the center.

"You better start talkin'! Who slaughtered Shin-Ra before we could even make a single move?" The black man exclaimed, nearly spitting on the cadet.

"Tex Rangers, ID number0749." The cadet growled out, sounding like he had been saying this for quite some time.

Zack was slightly impressed. It wasn't often that the cadets knew how to react in hostage situations and just repeat their military number and name. That's ususally something that Shin-Ra doesn't teach until you make Third Class. The ravenette himself had to use it in certain situations, but it wasn't very often he did. The leader grew even more annoyed and a string of curse words flew out of his mouth.

The brunette female asked the same question that the boss did, but her question was met with the same response as the first time. The other male brunette spoke up and the interrogated cadet kept stating his ID number over and over again with each question asked. After five more minutes, even Zack was starting to get annoyed.

He tapped the big guy on his shoulder with his right index finger. He looked over at the ravenette and gave him a go to hell look, but it was ignored as if the look had never been given in the first place.

"May I?" The former First Class asked politely.

"Why in Ifrit's Hell would I let-" The man began, but he was tuned out as Zack took a knee in front of the Shin-Ra cadet.

The trooper gave him leery eyes, thinking that he could not be swayed no matter what threats were thrown out at him. But the ravenette had different tactics up his sleeves. In these cases, you don't threaten the hostage them-self, but you threaten the ones around them. A very simple manipulation game, if you will.

Plus, it would be a cinch since he already had a tint of insane locked away in the back of his brain. The noise around him stopped as the former SOLDIER leaned in close to the trooper, making sure that creepy little grin that came around when he went berserk was etched on his face. He made sure his eyes played the part of a madman as well.

"Listen, Tex, is it? I want answers and I want them now. I'm not going to beat around the bush here like these morons, but I'll get straight to the point. Tell them what they need to know or I swear by the seven hells of Ifrit I will hunt down all that you love. Any relatives? Maybe a wife, perhaps some loving children? Wouldn't that be fun? Wouldn't you love to hear how they were all slaughtered in the coldest blood in the most inhumane way possible?

"Imagine their smiling faces, twisted in a gruesome grimace that only death can bring. Imagine how still they must be when they're put into a casket and stuck in the ground for the worms to feast on. Then, I'll come for you. I'll watch you from the shadows, out to get you and kill you when you are least expecting it. No one will ever know where you went. No one will be there for you, because they'll all be rotting in the ground..." Zack explained.

His eyes were twitching as he drug his sword across the concrete ground, making a loud, long and lengthy scraping sound. When he had finished his interrogation, the massive blade was up to the man's neck, tracing his jugular.

"a-Alright, Alright! Jeeze! Just get that big fucking thing away from me!" Tex exclaimed, inching away from the massive sword from his neck.

Pleased with the answer he received, Zack stood back up and stretched as a lofty little smile pulled at the corners of his lips. When he looked back at the leader, the man had a look of shock on his face, but then quickly replaced it with a sneer. He muttered something about how he could have done that himself. The ravenette almost begged to differ, but he kept his mouth closed.

"The guy that slaughtered us was a SOLDIER once. I didn't get very many details, but I heard the guy just walked right in through the front doors and killed everyone in sight. I heard he even killed the secretaries at the front desk!" Tex answered, eyes glancing at each person circling him.

"Okay, that last bit is a lie, I didn't kill the secretaries." Zack interjected, using his hand to point to himself for emphasis.

Heads immediately turned when the ravenette spoke up. There were looks of shock plastered on each face. However, the former SOLDIER remained unphased. The cadet in the middle of the circle's eyes were nearly bulged out of his head and he backed away from the madman, never taking his own orange eyes off the dull Mako blue ones nearly in front of him.

"_YOU_ killed them all? But _YOU'RE_ a Shin-Ra!" The only female in the group exclaimed, her eyes just as wide as Tex's as she pointed at him in a near accusatory manner.

"Hold it. I _WAS_ Shin-Ra. There's nothing more I'd like to see than that tower of lies crumble to the ground." Zack growled at the end, subconsciously gripping the hilt of his sword even tighter than before.

The leader looked him up and down, almost as if he was sizing him up. His brown eyes looked into the others in his little group. They understood the look and nodded their heads. They loosened the circle around Tex. The cadet instantly jumped up to his feet and scampered away as fast as he could run. The small group of three watched the trooper run, then huddled up to discuss something without the rouge SOLDIER aware he was being talked about.

Zack was still scowling down at the ground. All of a sudden, that just put him in a bad mood all over again. Not to mention he was cold, wet, and still hungry. Just to be categorized as still being with Shin-Ra just put him in a sour state of mind. He never wanted to be affiliated with those people again. Even if he still had friends that were kept in the dark and enjoying the fact they were all on short leashes. SOLDIER: What a pointless dream that turned out to be. He was right to tell Cloud that the program was like a den of monsters.

In his state, he'd never enter that den.

Loud growling brought him from his stupor. Damn it, how could he forget that he still needed to eat something? Maybe if he was lucky enough the restaurant in Wall Market would still be open. He wondered if he could pay for any kind of meal for thirty gil? That would probably only get him a dinner mint or two. Not having any money was one of the most stressful things to think about. How would he make it through the night?

"Hey, Ex-SOLDIER." The gruff voice of the man in charge spoke up.

"What?" Zack responded bitterly over the harsh gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"We've got a proposition for you." He stated.

* * *

><p>AN: And there's chapter three for you guys :) I know this is starting to look like Zack's going to join AVALANCHE and blow up all the reactors to help them take down Shin-Ra like he had taken Cloud's place or something, but fear not! It will be much more different and unexpected than that! X3 You'll just have to stick with me and find out! :3

Anyhow, hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you thought of the chapter if you want! And as always...

Toodles!  
>~Zimithrus1<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

_Alrighty! Here's chapter four of Vagabond! Reworked and revised for all you guys! Enjoy! :)_

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><p><em>~~I Tried So Hard And Got So Far, But In The End, It Doesn't Even Matter. I Had To Fall To Loose It All, But In The End, It Doesn't Even Matter...~~<br>~~In The End, by Linkin Park~~_

Cloud's eyes felt heavy, a strange kind of heavy. It felt as if there was a warm blanket over his eyes silently coaxing him to keep his tired eyes closed. Yet he stirred regardless of the feeling. He scrunched his eyes tighter, hoping that it would somehow squeeze the thickness over his eyelids out. With a small amount of effort, he was finally able to pry his eyelids open. He blinked a few times seeing nothing but a blurry black. He tried to use his arms to rub at his eyes, but found that his body felt heavy like lead.

Finding himself temporarily immobile, he just continued to blink his eyes. Eventually they began to adjust and sharpen in contrast. Even when his vision returned to normal, he found himself squinting and blinking some more. He could see nothing but black no matter where his eyes roamed. At first, he was confused at where he was, but his memory returned: The cliffs, Zack, dying. He especially remembered the pain that each bullet brought him. Even just thinking about it gave him a slight headache.

_'This must be the afterlife.'_ Cloud thought to himself, Mako blue eyes scanning through the ever thick darkness around him.

A dry chuckle rumbled from his throat. Some kind of afterlife this was. No one else was here, just himself and this darkness. Perhaps he was in some kind of purgatory, trapped within life and death itself due to the events that transpired to his premature death. He took in a deep yet ragged breath. In through the nose and out through the mouth. The feeling of heaviness in his body began to decrease the longer he took deep breaths. He started to feel a pins and needles sensation tingling up his arms.

To test his motor movements, he clenched and unclenched his right fist. His hand slightly lagged like he was moving in slow motion. While he continued to try and move, something whisked by in the corner of his eye. Snapping his head over as quick as he could, he was just in time to see a mint green wisp float by, then blend into the blackness without a trace. Cloud stared at where the green wisp had disappeared and figured it was just his imagination.

As he went to look back at his hands to continue flexing his fingers, another strand floated right in front of his face, swirling around him for a moment before disappearing like the first one before it. The blonde's eyes were then alight with wisps of mint green swirling all around him. Using some effort and sore muscles, he forced himself to sit up from his position of laying down. A quiet gasp escaped through slightly parted lips at the sight before him.

Those green stands were slowly rippling all around him, lighting up the darkness with a pale green glow that seemed to be so comforting. After a few more moments of watching the strands, he realized what they were.

"The Lifestream." He spoke, unaware he had even said anything until he heard his own voice echo back to his ears.

His Mako tinted eyes watched as the scintillating strands of mint green wrapped around his body. It felt cool and brought his battered feeling body a soothing kind of relaxation. He felt at ease in that moment. His motor movements were still slow as ever, but they were more fluid and a bit easier to move than before. As Cloud continued to look all around him, he noticed a fuzzy silhouette making its' way towards him.

The blonde was back on the alert again, putting his guard back up as he threw away his carefree feeling just moments ago. As the figure approached, he balled his hands into loose clenched fists just to be safe. He knew how to brawl fight, but not very well. He was more efficient with guns due to his infantry training, but had to make do with what he had. He heard some husky chuckling from said figure and the silhouette surrounding them had disappeared when they got closer.

This man was fairly tall, riding at about 6"2, maybe 6"3. He had off black hair parted down the middle, but two strands of hair masked the sides of his face, nearly falling in his eyes. He had the slightest amount of stubble around his jawline, but that was about it. His eyes were over glazed in Mako blue just like the blonde's own. There was even a single white wing protruding from his back, the feathers softly scraping across the black ground below. He was clothed in a First Class SOLDIER uniform and on his back was none other than the aforementioned Buster Sword.

Cloud was then confused. He had always thought that the particular sword in question had belonged to Zack. So why did this man have the exact same sword? The mystery man stopped just a few feet in front of the blonde. A black gloved hand reached out towards him, and at first, the cadet just stared at it. His eyes glanced from the ravenette's own eyes, to his hand, then back to his eyes once more.

"It's alright, this hand it not a trap." He spoke, his voice was deep and rough sounding, but underneath the husky voice was something soft and comforting.

Cloud ended up accepting the man's help. He was pulled onto his feet and once he was securely on the ground, their hands parted and fell back down to the appropriate sides. The blonde looked towards through the swirling strands of Lifestream once more, about to ask where he was, but the ravenette beat him to the punch and answered first.

"That is indeed the Lifestream you're seeing. Of course, that would be a given since you ARE in the Lifestream after all." The man explained.

Cloud's eyes snapped back towards the ravenette, confusion was present on his face yet he did not voice it. The look on his milky white face only caused the older man to laugh in that rough tone of his again. His Mako eyes were alight with slight amusement past the strands of green reflected in his eyes.

"It means you are not dead. Well, not in spirit, technically speaking." The man explained once more.

"Not dead? How?" Cloud quickly asked, his voice coming back strong from before he died. No, before the addiction. It was still light and a bit scratchy as it had once been, but it had gained a new kind of depth to it as well, sounding less childlike and more mature.

"The planet kept your spirit intact because it's not finished with you yet." The older man said, his tone suddenly serious. His baritone laughter was all but gone now.

"Not finished with me? But..." Cloud began, but he cut himself off. He was confused, and not sure of what to say or ask the man in front of him.

"It's alright to be confused-" The man began. He paused momentarily to rest his right hand on the boy's right shoulder. -But don't worry, the answers will come in due time." He finished, giving the blonde in front of him a soft smile.

Once he let the smaller man out of his hold, the lifestream began to speed up as it swirled around the two men. Cloud watched the strands, twisting his head when the strand he was watching snaked behind him. All of a sudden, the strands began to twirl up his arms and around his body making him gasp in surprise. Just when he got used to the wisps of the embodiment of the planet itself wrapping around him, they suddenly infused with his skin, seeping into him.

The blonde took a few steps back, beginning to panic slightly. Was this normal? What the hell was happening? His desperate eyes quickly jumped up to meet the ravenette's own eyes. The man in front of him only smirked, his hands gently folded behind his back comfortably.

"This should restore your mortal body so you can be returned to Gaia. It's time for you to go now." He said, nodding his head ever so slightly to add emphasis.

"w-Wait! What does the planet want with me?" Cloud cried, his voice cracking as more and more of the Lifestream began to flow into his body.

"In all technicality, I'm not supposed to tell you. But I suppose I can give you a hint as a parting gift. 'To save the planet and those that you care about from annihilation, you must rid this earth of the one thing that can destroy it. Start with the pawns and make your way up to the king. Checkmate." The man explained seriously, his eyes void of any flicker of amusement. It was a flame of desire burning behind the Mako blue.

The swirling strands of Lifestream accelerated at a faster rate, creating a blinding white light that made Cloud have to squint to see the man only a few feet away from him. His hair whipped around, as well as his own First Class uniform as if there had been a wind to rustle him up a bit. The blinding white light began to grow brighter the faster the green strands twirled around and entered him. Suddenly, a question popped into the blonde's head.

"Who are you?" He exclaimed over the loud '_woosh_' sound that the silky green strands made.

"My name is not important. By the way, I'm sorry I injured you in Modeoheim." He responded, shaking his head slightly as he closed his eyes momentarily. His hair shook along with his head.

Even when the bright light washed out everything and silence ensued, a single voice cut through the still air. The words sent shivers down his spine, and he was pretty sure his heart stopped beating in that moment.

_'This time, Minerva will make sure you're strong enough to face what you could not stand against last time. Just...Don't scream when you realize where you are.'_

And then there was silence...

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><p>Consciousness returned to Cloud much quicker than the last time. His body did not feel heavy, nor did he feel tired. His vision refocused much faster than before. Frantic eyes darted back and forth to observe his new surroundings. Wherever he was, it was quite dim. There were no lights, save for one on a nearby wall and one hanging right above him. The light above him looked like one of those high powered lamps they use during surgeries or some kind of dental examination.<p>

Becoming more than paranoid, Cloud tried to move. Pressure was felt around his head, arms, and chest as he tried to sit up. Something was holding him down. With wild eyes that mirrored that of a helpless animal, he quickly looked down at himself to see why he could not move one inch. He was bound to a cold metal table by steel restraints that looked as if they could keep a behemoth in place.

He was lacking his shirt and was stripped down from everything except his dark navy blue pants. In his right arm, an IV tube and some kind of other substance was being pumped into him. This was just like Hojo's labs all over again. The undeniable fear that suddenly engulfed him shrouded him like a suffocating blanket. Suddenly, it was hard to breathe, hard to even think straight. Where was he? Why was he restrained to a metal table? Did Hojo find him again and take him back?

He let loose with a wild scream that sounded more like a wild beast than a man. He tried to push his arms against the metal restraints, only to find that no matter how hard he thrashed about, he could not budge. The only thing he could move were his legs and hips. Cloud figured he'd be able to snap these metal cuffs around his arms due to the large amounts of Mako in his system, but he was wrong.

He heard the sound of a door mechanically_ 'woosh_' open. When the blonde looked over to his right, he saw an open glass door and three lab assistants running inside quickly. One was female and the other two were male.

The female had long red hair pulled back into a long ponytail that ended at the middle of her back, side-swept bangs traced her face and ended an inch or two past her jaw. Her eyes were a light lilac color. Under her lab coat, she had on a dim maroon turtleneck shirt, and she had on a formal off black skirt that ended an inch above her knees. She had on brown platform boots and smokey black stockings.

The second lab tech that had run in behind the woman had shaggy brown hair that fell like thick feathers in his face. He had thick black glasses perched on the bridge of his nose and his eyes were a milky and clouded ocean blue color. His lab coat was buttoned at the top, so the shirt underneath couldn't be seen. His pants, however, were light brown slacks and his shoes were black polished loafers.

The third man that brought up the rear had jet black hair that was parted down the middle. His bangs ended right at his well defined jaw. His eyes were a deep rustic orange with a tinge of honey-gold at his pupil. His lab coat was not buttoned at all and looked more like a trench coat on him. Underneath his coat was a tight black shirt with a large behemoth on the front. His pants were blue camo and looked loose fitting on him. He had scuffed street shoes on.

When Cloud realized that the three lab techs were rushing in here to observe him, he brought his legs up to the table and curled them against to his chest as a last ditch effort to protect himself.

"Stay away from me!" He cried, voice cracking and breaking due to his fear surging like adrenaline flooding through his blood.

He scrunched his eyes shut tight and pressed his forehead against his knees, trying his best to curl himself into a tight ball to keep the three assistants from touching him. When he felt a pair of slender hands touch his clothed legs, he let out another scream that sounded more like a bloodcurdling shriek.

The hands instantly backed away, but the bodies of the lab personnel circled around the metal table they had him strapped to. Cloud did not want to open his eyes, but he knew he couldn't keep them closed forever. With regret, he slowly pried them open and pulled his head away from his knees.

"Mitch, Give him fifty cc's of sedative, calm him down." The female spoke up to the brunette on the blonde's right side.

"Understood, Claire. Jack, get me a syringe and the sedative, will you?" Mitch piped up, his request aimed at the onyx-haired man on the right side of the blonde.

"Got'cha." Jack responded with a soft head nod as he disappeared from the trapped cadet's line of sight.

He was only gone for a few moments before soon returning with said items. He gently handed them off to Mitch. The brunette took the instruments with nothing more than a nod of his head. With that, he started to prep the syringe with the sedative. Cloud was terrified, but he could not pull his eyes away from the needle. Mitch neared said needle towards the blonde's neck while he could do nothing but try and thrash his legs around to see if that would do anything. No such luck, because as soon as he started to thrash, Jack held his legs in place.

The needle went straight into the cadet's neck, and nothing more than a whimper escaped after that. He stopped screaming and stopped fighting. There was nothing he could do. Hojo would have his way with him once more. But Cloud was in for a surprise when a new voice that was NOT the deranged scientist in thought, spoke up from the open lab door.

"I see our little guest put up a bit of a fight, did he?" The voice spoke.

Through the sudden calm and slur his mind was in, the blonde looked over towards the open door to see who was standing there. His mind was only sent to racing in fear once more. The voice did not sound like Hojo, but the new man there looked like him. Same hairstyle and color; Dirty brown parted down the middle tucked up in a secure yet loose ponytail. He even had glasses on the bridge of his nose as well. Yet this look like's glasses were thicker, and the rims were bright blue instead of light silver. Plus, the hair was longer and lighter in color.

The more Cloud looked, the more differences he could see. This man had a bit of a fuller face, making him look younger than he probably really was. He was taller than Hojo. He was not slouched over as he stood or strode and instead of brown eyes, he was looking into a dim honey yellow color. His lab coat was not white like the others but was black and looked more like a trench coat. His whole attire was black. Black shirt, pants, and shoes. He did have a loose red tie on, however.

"Good evening, Cloud." The man greeted as he stepped into the room, smiling softly. It was not an eerie smile, but it wasn't the warmest smile he'd ever seen before.

The three assistants around the contained blonde loosened and stood off to the side silently while the Hojo look-alike stood next to the cadet and looked over some readings on one of the machines said man was hooked up to. Cloud's eyes watched the man's every move cautiously. The last time he was in a lab like this, it ended with four years of physical and mental scars under his belt.

"Vitals are good. Normal bpm. Blood pressure's a little high, but that's mostly due to stress and the sedative..." The man muttered, pulling away from the machines as his honey eyes rolled around as he thought aloud to himself.

"Who...Are you?" Cloud slurred, feeling quite drained from the effects of whatever the hell kind of sedative they gave him. If anything, all it did was make him feel tired. It also brought back the stinging cold of the metal under his bare flesh.

"You may call me Haku. I'm afraid if I told you my last name like most scientists or doctors, your reaction would be one of fear." The man now known as Haku explained, pulling up a red swivel chair from one of the dimmer corners of the metallic looking room.

The brunette removed a set of keys from his left lab coat pocket as he took a seat on the swivel chair. He fished out one of the more intriquite looking keys from the set of at least ten other keys. It looked antique, like a kind of key they would make back in the older days. With said bronze key, Haku inserted it into one of the keyholes on the side of the metal table Cloud was strapped to.

With a quick clockwise twist, a 'click' echoed through the room and then there was hissing from the metal restraints around the blonde. Without sound, they snapped open. As soon as the rest of his limbs were free, he sat up as best he could in his sedated state and shook away the stiffness forming in his restrained body.

He looked towards the brunette on the right side of him, his blue eyes calculating the character beside him. He looked like Hojo and almost barely sounded like him. The only difference was his voice was younger sounding, less grate-y. It had more thickness to it, to say the least.

"Feeling better? Feel free to stand up if you want to." Haku suggested, pushing himself back on the chair. The wheels rolled on, and one of them made a little squeak.

"Where am I?" Cloud asked, getting right to the point. He did not stand up from the table, but he did allow his legs to hang off the edge of the table. He made sure he was facing the brunette as he asked the question.

"You certainly get right to the point, don't you? Well, this is one of the many rooms in my facility. I run a small lab here up in the mountains behind Midgar. The terrain is too treacherous and chalk full of monsters for outsiders, even SOLDIERs, to get to." Haku explained, using his left hand for emphasis as he spoke.

"What have you done to me while I was here?" Cloud abruptly accused, noting his lack of clothes -minus his pants- and these strange things being pumped into him.

"Ahh...Very observant of you. But that is to be expected of someone who has been in this type of situation. But for your question, how about I let you find out yourself?" The brunette chuckled, the lighting in the room casting a glare off his glasses that blocked out his eyes. The three assistants on the other side began to whisper in a hush-hush manner.

Now the blonde was reminded more of Hojo. It made him tense and snappy.

"What the Hell do you mean by that?" Cloud growled, his fingers digging into the cold steel table underneath him.

"Tell me, Strife. How did it feel being cut open and experimented on for four years by my older brother?" Haku cackled, sounding like a madman now.

With an angry scream, Cloud lept off the metal table and thrusted his right hand out. Almost instantly after, three small fireballs were lobbed directly at Haku. The force of the fireballs caused the blonde's arm to ricochete back. As that happened, the IV wire was yanked too rough and the entire bag exploded all over the metal table and the floor. The solution even splattered against Cloud's bare back.

The scientist quickly swiveled to the right and avoided the path of the lobs of fire. They splashed against the walls and exploded into nothing, leaving burn marks against the metal of the wall. The blonde immediately took a step back, eyes wide at what had just happened. He looked at his hand that fired the fireballs in near horror. He noticed that in the palm of his right hand, there was a soft orange glow from under his pale skin.

"I do believe that was a level one Firaga. Care to see what other Materia I put into your body?" Haku chuckled, that glare from the light on the adjacent wall still blocking out his eyes.

Cloud was left speechless.

* * *

><p>AN: That looks like a good place to stop for now :) If I write anymore, I think my fingers will fall off! ^^; Or maybe fly off with how fast I type X3 regardless, there will be blood haha!

And how'd you like dem apples at the end? Did you guys see that twisty turnsie comin'? :p I hope it hit you like a freight train! XD Like, WHAM! Right in the 'what the hell' Feels! :D

Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Leave me some feedback to munch on, will ya? Thanks! X3

Until the next chappie my fair readers!

Toodles!  
>~Zimithrus1<p> 


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